Picture this: You’ve just checked in to your hotel room, whether that’s for a weekend business conference or a week-long vacation. You likely greeted the front desk employee, showed your ID, put down a card for incidentals and headed to your accommodations after a long day of travel.
If that sounds familiar, you’re probably like most guests and don’t give much thought to your overall stay beyond the basics. That said, there are some mistakes you’re probably making when staying at a hotel.
We spoke to front desk employees and managers at hotels across the United States and internationally to see what errors guests make most often. Here’s what you may want to do differently on your next hotel stay:
Not booking directly through the hotel.
It can be enticing to book through third-party travel websites to save money. However, there are a few downsides.
“Booking through third parties takes away more than half of the actions we can do to assist you,” said Chase Christian, director of rooms at 106 Jefferson in Huntsville, Alabama. “Often, we aren’t able to refund a night’s stay if your trip was unexpectedly canceled, you may not receive your loyalty benefits, or the third party charges late fees for last-minute changes.”
These issues are all usually avoidable when booking directly through the property.
To help put it into perspective, here’s how Rhiannon Reynolds, vice president of operations at Innisfree Hotels, explained it: “If a front desk agent has one king view room left and has two guests standing there waiting for their room, one of whom is a loyal hotel brand rewards member who booked direct and the other who booked through Expedia costing the hotel a high commission … who do you think has a better chance of getting the king view room that they booked?”
Not doing research ahead of your stay.
According to Ivanna Gonzalez, director of rooms at Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel in Miami, many guests don’t inquire about the amenities and services available to them until after their stay is over.
“We frequently hear from guests about items they wished they had known were provided, whether it’s extra pillows or even recommendations for local attractions,” Gonzales said.
Rachel Mylett, assistant rooms division manager at The Lodge at St. Edward in Kenmore, Washington, said that her property offers amenities that a typical guest wouldn’t think of without browsing their website.
“Pickleball courts and weekly meetups, game nights, specialty happy hours, self-guided historic tours, and free yoga on Saturdays are some offerings guests may miss if they don’t do the research ahead of time,” Mylett said.
Not asking for hygiene products.
If you were scatterbrained while packing, you could have easily forgotten to pack a toothbrush and toothpaste. Sound familiar? Well, at many hotels, you don’t have to go through the night (or day) with smelly breath.
“During my time at the front desk, a guest checking out mentioned he urgently needed to find a convenience store because he had forgotten his toothbrush and hadn’t brushed his teeth in four days,” said Patrick van den Aakster, front office manager at Corendon Amsterdam New-West in the Netherlands. “I informed him that we actually provide complimentary toothbrushes at the front desk. He was surprised and admitted he hadn’t thought to ask.”
Not every hotel will offer this, but many will have dental kits, combs, and makeup wipes available for guests if they ask.
Not booking spa or dining reservations ahead of time.
Book your spa and dining reservations right after you book your hotel room to ensure you have a spot before you arrive.
“Popular hotels near larger cities often book out well in advance, especially when they are available to both guests and locals,” Mylett said. ”We hate it when our guests can’t enjoy all the on-property services and amenities they might have expected to have access to upon arrival.”
Not asking about flexible check-in and check-out times.
Many hotels have standard check-in and check-out times. That said, there usually is some flexibility if you ask ahead of time if your flight is getting in early or you need an extra hour to get ready in the morning.
“If you need to adjust your check-in or check-out times, let the hotel know before you arrive,” Gonzalez said. “Hotels often have flexibility with these requests, especially if they’re aware in advance.”
Not reaching out with concerns and requests.
Hotel workers want to make sure you have a pleasant stay at their property, but they won’t know how they can make it better if you don’t tell them.
“Don’t be shy. Reply to emails and texts to ensure your stay is everything you want it to be,” Mylett said. “This includes letting us know if you are celebrating a special occasion ― perhaps our team can help make it even more special.”